Hey Locals, 

We hope you had a fun holiday week! We heard great things about the city's first Fourth of July parade, where our reporter, Rachel Horton, was on site. (Do you think it should be a new annual tradition? If so, we hope to attend next year.)

We (Kara and Mike) are just now getting back into town, and we have a lot of briefs for you, including updates on Electric Works and a new local bar opening this week that you won't want to miss. Plus, we'll be back in your inbox on Thursday with a full report about the state of the city's homeless resources, public camping laws and proposed Anchor Resource Center.

In our To Do List, we spotlight ways to beat the heat and how Fort Wayne's much-desired water park (lazy river included) is now a reality in a nearby city! We have a new deal for paid subscribers, too ....

In July: We’re extending our partnership with Club Soda to bring all paid subscribers to The Local a free small Smoked Gouda Dip with the order of two entrees. 

Now, let’s get started.

NOTE: Links to Journal Gazette articles are marked(*) and may be behind a paywall.

The state of Fort Wayne's homeless resources.

And how new public camping laws and the Anchor Resource Center fit in.

What's happening?

• You might have heard: On July 1, a new state law took effect (Senate Enrolled Act 285), punishing people who use “unauthorized public land for camping, sleeping or long-term shelter” with potential penalties of up to 60 days in jail and up to $500 fines.
• What remains unclear: is whether Fort Wayne has enough shelter beds and mental health facilities to enforce the legislation, which provides exceptions for cases where there are “no available shelter or mental health facility beds within five miles.”
• Last week: Executive Director of Just Neighbors, Shirley Roark, told WPTA 21 in response to the state law: “I’m scared. There is not enough shelter space in our community. Every shelter is at capacity.”

So…  what is the state of the city's current homeless resources? How are local nonprofits dealing with the challenges of homelessness here? And how does the city’s proposed Anchor Resource Center fit into all this? 

Stay tuned for a full report on Thursday – for paid subscribers only.

• A new local bar is opening this week in the former Ruin space at 1201 West Main St., thanks to a few ambitious local college students and recent grads. Four friends in their twenties – Bradyn Kole, AJ Lazoff, Jared Kistler, and Caden Higgins-Phillips – are opening The District on July 10 with a full bar and food menu, WPTA 21 reports. Following an afternoon grand opening with vendors and entertainment, they plan to staff regular hours 5 p.m.-2 a.m. with live music, DJ sets, comedy nights, and more. The young team says they have experience in entrepreneurship, the music industry, entertainment, bartending, and security. Their historic building has previously housed Skeletunes, Butch Bros, and The River Tavern. In recent years, West Main has also seen growth in its dining and living options, with Spoke & Ivy and the Flats on Main. 
• Do it Best announced last week that its recently acquired True Value company will be moving to Electric Works – but didn’t specify how many jobs or how much leased space the change will result in. About two years ago, Do it Best Group acquired its Chicago-based competitor, True Value. Management says the merger will be complete in about a year-and-a-half. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun attended the announcement at Electric Works last week and said “he heard about a hundred jobs are coming here,” WPTA 21 reports. But official numbers on jobs and leased office space are TBA. Sources tell us last week’s (premature?) announcement may boost the fledgling campus’s image as it seeks to secure more tenants this month – including a new anchor dining tenant to replace Chapman’s Brewing Company, which closed abruptly in May.
• A homeowner living three minutes from the local Google Data Center spoke to WPTA 21 about the area’s noise, traffic and health risks. Angela Runyon says she initially moved her family to the area near East Tillman and Adams Center Road for peace and quiet. Now, she often hears dump trucks and semis at the data center, where traffic has added up to a half hour to her commute. She’s also received messages from doctors about potential cancer risks from airborne toxins within close proximity to data centers. A professor at the Harvard School of Public Health published an article, suggesting data centers could cause 1,300 deaths every year by 2030.
• The Fort Wayne Football Club celebrated the long-awaited completion of its Ruoff Mortgage Stadium and new mascot – Friendly, the Goal-rilla – on July 4. The team also topped Spokane Velocity FC, 3-0, in a match that day. The stadium offers 9,000 seats, a beer garden/lounge area, picnic space, and a VIP club room. Along with football, it plans to host concerts, weddings, festivals and more – similar to the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, which offers about 6,000 seats plus general admission capacity of 18,000 as Indiana’s largest outdoor amphitheater.  
• A Fort Wayne-based company says it’s creating “the United States’ first house built using a robotic ‘MicroFactory’ system.” Last week, WANE 15 featured the business, Rival Holdings, which has a lab in Fort Wayne where it uses robots to produce wall panels that can be assembled by local construction teams, “streamlining” projects. Its first home is near Downtown and Electric Works. The company says its goal is to address shortages in both local housing and the workforce required to build homes.

• Cool off: at the new Wells Community Aquatic Park in Bluffton, open noon-6 p.m. daily through August with a rock wall, slides, a lazy river, a competitive-sized pool and more. We (Kara and Mike) have been wanting to see something like this in Fort Wayne for a LONG time now, and we’re excited to check it out! Admission starts at $6 for ages 18+, and children 2/younger are free. (Check social media for deals). 
• Relax with a view: at Summer Nights at The Embassy, featuring live music, food and drinks at the venue’s ballroom/rooftop every Wednesday, now through August 26, 5:30-9 p.m. The first event on July 8 features music by Mason Dixie Line, food by Smokin’ Jay’s, signature cocktails and frozen “Happy Thursday Punch.” ($5 admission)
• Read: a National Geographic feature on Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island, recently honored as “America's longest-running hot dog stand.” 
• Stroll: through the Fort Wayne Museum of Art’s Chalk Walk on July 11 and 12. Fun fact: the popular annual event is based on the 16th century Italian tradition of street painting.
• Listen: to local bands at the free Riverfest on the Auer Lawn on July 11, 5-10 p.m., featuring The Namby Pamby, Sahara, Caleb North, and Cicadas. 
• Try: Delhi Heights, an Indian restaurant that recently opened Downtown at The Harrison (next to Parkview Field) at 301 W. Jefferson Blvd.

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Have a great week, Locals!

-Your Editor, Kara Hackett

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